Gallery

A digital archive showcasing the extensive collection of jewellery and adornment images shared on the former Ethnic Jewels Ning site over the years. These images have significantly enriched discussions on cultural adornment and its global dispersion.

Detail of Palestinian Kirdan

Posted by Lynn Ardent on May 25, 2015 at 3:00am

This is a very large and heavy Palestinian kirdan from Nablus, or Jordanian kirdan from Kerak. Made in high grade silver, and restrung in the 60s-80s. The focal element on the neck, the middle elements, and the upper crescent and lower flower are all worked in filigree with granulation applied on top of them. The 68 coins date from the 1800s to the early 1900s. These kirdans were made in Nablus or Kerak and worn in both Palestine and Jordan. I lean towards this being Palestinian due to the similarity of published examples but I welcome other opinions. With many thanks to Jyrki Lammi.Dimensions:36cm at widest20cm at longest370 grams

Comments

Nada May 27, 2015 at 10:38am

Really lovely find Lynn. I can't really see the little floral pattern that you have at the back (from which the coins hang), but it looks very similar to a motif used in Palestinian jewelry. Here is that floral pattern (11 or 12 petals) with variations used in two iznaq:
Lynn Ardent May 29, 2015 at 5:37am

Dear Nada, thank you so much for your comment. Yes, I think you are right that the floral motif looks very similar to the one used in iznaq. By the way, the two you post below are gorgeous!!! Do you have larger photos?
Nada June 3, 2015 at 9:32am

Thank you Lynn and sorry for the late reply. These two details I recorded from a couple of iznaqs that I don't own in a dealer's shop, but I'm fascinated by the symbols and so I photographed the floral medallions for my reference.